easy child Denied Any School Services - Again

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Bunny

Guest
I had easy child's IEP meeting yesterday afternoon. I was hopeful because his teacher was clearly on my side that there are issues that need to be addressed, but his grades have shot up in the past two months and that was really the sticking point. How can we really say that he needs assistance when he is clearly succeeding in the classroom?

Mrs. H was really pushing for speech for him, but that was denied as well. The committee was arguing with me that our insurance will cover it because of his age (8 1/2). I told them that I spoke to them last week and that their policy is that they will not cover speech at any age because they consider if developmental. They will only cover it when the person loses speech due to accident or illness. They still would not give it to him and Mrs. H was not happy.

After the meeting I pulled Mrs. H aside and told her that I did speak to our carrier last week and I didn't say it in the meeting because I was hoping they would give it to him, but our insurance has changed their policy in the last few months and they will cover speech, but only 10 visits a year. I already called the pediatrician and got the name of a speech therapist that they recommend, so I have to call them and see if they take my insurance. I don't know how I am going to fit this in
 

buddy

New Member
Bunny, they may limit it initially but be able to continue if he is showing progress but has not yet met the goals set. So work with the Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) to set realistic but long range goals with shorter easier to obtain objectives/steps toward achieving the goals. Worth a shot.....
 

JJJ

Active Member
The Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) may be able to give you 'at home' activities to help maximize those 10 visits. When Tigger was little, the waiting list was so long that the Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) met with each family as they were placed on the list and gave them a packet of home activities to do and they really helped.
 
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Bunny

Guest
I was talking to the therapist last week and he said that they could set it up like they set up psychiatric services. You get 10 visits, but if the mental health professional put in paperworks that says that therapy is on going they will approve 10 more, and so on. I'm hoping that is what it is.

The Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) that the pediatrician gave me does not take my insurance, so I called them back and they got back to me pretty quickly with the name of another Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) group.
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
Your son has a diagnosis. of cognitive disorder not otherwise specified and he can't get interventions? Seriously? I'd be on the phone to an advocate or to the state dept. of public education. That's a no-brainer. They are just unfortunately bullying you because you aren't giving them any reason not to. I personally would fight harder. That's a diagnosis that can get you SSI when you are an adult. He certainly should be getting help as a child. Not just speech eitiher. Why do you think he has that diagnosis? Does the school know about it?

Two months of better grades don't mean much.
 
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Bunny

Guest
They say that because his grades are good there are no needs to interventions. They know that he has a diagnosis of cognitive disorder not otherwise specified, but his disability is not impacting his ability to learn because he is doing well.

When he starts to fail, then they'll help him, which I think is terrible. We should be trying to lift kids like this up, not just waiting for them to fail before we help them.
 

InsaneCdn

Well-Known Member
In lots of places, unless the child is at least two grade levels behind in at least one academic area, or the equivalent of two years behind in behavior... there are NO services. Our system is like that, too. They don't have to fail at everything - but being really behind in reading, or really behind in math... the school has no leg to stand on, everybody knows this kid needs help. Ditto for serious behavior problems. But... prevention? ummm... it's hard to even get lip-service to that concept, it seems.
 
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Bunny

Guest
In lots of places, unless the child is at least two grade levels behind in at least one academic area, or the equivalent of two years behind in behavior... there are NO services.

That how it is here. Regardless of a diagnosis, he appears to be doing well and functioning appropriately in the class room, so he gets nothing.

One of the things the teacher kept stressing was that she would like to see him get extra time on things because he takes SOOOOO long to complete tasks, which was denied. I questioned them what happens in the spring when he takes the state ELA and math tests and if he does poorly on them. I was told that if that happens he will be placed in remedial math and reading. I think I phrased the question wrong. What I should have asked was what happens if he does poorly because he is unable to finish the tests because he runs out of time. I actually just e-mailed his teacher with the question worded correctly. From my point of view it's not necessarily that he CAN'T do the work, because he is clearly showing that he can. My concern is whether or not he will be able to complete it in the time alloted. If it's a time issue, not a learning issue, what is putting him in remdial classes going to do?
The one thing they did agree to do what "watch" him to see how things go in the future, which was more than they agreed to do last spring.
 

JJJ

Active Member
That is how it works. Sadly, a child must fail before they get services.

Bunny, how much are you helping him at home with his school work? If YOU are the difference in him failing or not, I would considered stopping and letting him 'fail' so that you can get the services. But ONLY if you think he could handle it. Some kids, even a brief stint of failure at school can cause other issues.
 
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Bunny

Guest
I don't think that I'm giving him an extraordinary amound of help when it comes to homework. When he needs things explained, I explain it and he usually gets it. If not and I see that he's getting frustrated I tell him to stop and move on and we'll send what he does not understand back to the teacher, unfinished with a note explaining that he had trouble with it. What I mostly do is keep him on task because he is very easily distracted. I think that if he could just stay on task we would get through homework much, much faster.

The only other support that I have in place here at home is his tutor, and I really hesitate to take that away from him. I've told his teacher to stop making accomodations for him in the classroom because I don't want her doing anything that is not in writing. She told me that she stopped and he's still doing really well in the classroom. She does him getting distracted, but she also sees that he looks around and sees the other kids working and then he gets to work (who knew peer pressure could be a good thing? LOL!!)
 
T

TeDo

Guest
I had the same thought. If you REALLY want services at school and have everything the current teacher is doing put in writing for future teachers, you have to do everything you can to NOT help him in any way. He needs to do 100% of the work 100% alone. If the tutor alone is making that much difference, are you willing to pay them for the remaining 5-6 years so he can continue to do well or would you rather the school do their job and provide ALL the services that you are currently "taking care of"? Are you willing to settle for only 10 Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) sessions or do you want the school t o do its job and provide that service as often and for as long as it is needed? I know it's hard but ultimately, what are you willing to do on your own and how hard are you willing to fight the school?
 
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Bunny

Guest
I actually just sent his teacher an e-mail and told her to stop giving him extra time on anything. Be it tests, classwork, projects they are working on. I don't care what it is, but I want him to only have the time alloted and no more. I had already asked her earlier in the year to not give him extra time on tests, but she does give him extra time on other class work and I want that stopped, too. I feel really badly for doing this. I really do.

I'm still trying to decide what to do about the tutor.
 

InsaneCdn

Well-Known Member
If the school is prepared to pay for the tutor, you can keep it.
Otherwise... TELL your difficult child what you are doing and why. Keeping him in the dark will make the damage worse.
I had to bring my difficult child into the loop at about age 12... he knew things would get worse before they got better, and actually "helped" himself by NOT putting in such a huge effort working through situations that were beyond him (trying to hear over background noise, etc.)... the combination had an impact.
 
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Bunny

Guest
Thanks, ICD. I'm actually going to talk to him about it this weekend so that he is aware that it's not that his teacher is upset with him or anything like that if she suddenly stops giving him extra time to get things done.
 
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